Basil is one of our most popular summer herbs. Usually, basil is green, although there are many fun varieties, including lemon basil, sacred basil, and purple basil. Basil should be eaten fresh. Handle basil with care. If the leaves get crushed, bruised, or exposed to very cold temperatures, they will turn black—store basil for no more than a couple of days in a plastic bag in the fridge. Basil keeps very well in the form of pesto in the fridge for a couple of weeks or all winter in the freezer. Besides the classic pesto, basil pairs very well with all the summer vegetables, especially tomatoes, eggplant, and zucchini. It is great on pizza, quiches, and soup.
